Sugg-Jeff-Tion: April 2025

A Beautiful Disaster…

Ahhhh spring! The birds are singing, the spring peepers are calling… and the Bradford pear trees are blooming everywhere, filling the air with their foul stench. YUCK!

The Bradford pear, a cultivar of the Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), was brought to the United States in the 1960s. It was originally thought to be the PERFECT ornamental tree, due to its fast growth, early and beautiful spring flowers, and uniform and symmetrical shape. It was the go-to foundation tree for new developments for years. With all the positive characteristics of this new horticultural marvel, who would have ever guessed that this beautiful tree would eventually turn out to a beautiful botanical disaster that now threatens our local ecosystems.

When the Bradford pear was originally developed and released to the public, it was carefully bred to be sterile to ensure it would not escape cultivation. However, as more and more were planted, and additional varieties of the Callery pear were developed and planted, the cross-pollination of the different pear varieties led to successful production of viable seeds. Since then, this tree has blossomed into an absolute beast of an invasive species that thrives on disturbed sites, meadows, and forest edges. The fruits, which are consumed and spread primarily by birds, are fast to germinate and can form dense thickets in open areas in just a few years. You can easily see the impacts driving along our highways at this time of year. Those trees were not intentionally planted, they are all growing wild and quickly outcompeting native species of trees, shrubs, and other plants. This invasion can quickly lead to ecological food deserts; where native plants once supported biodiversity, invasive pear trees provide very little in the form of food for wildlife. The flowers, while beautiful, attract mostly flies as pollinators due to their vile scent. Their leaves are not known to serve as preferred food sources for caterpillars. In one study, only one caterpillar was found on a Bradford pear tree, whereas over 400 caterpillars, representing 19 species, were found on a similar-sized native oak.

Unfortunately, the Bradford pear continues to be sold at big box nurseries all over the US. They are usually the cheapest flowering trees you can buy, and people who aren’t aware plant them with good intention. That is where YOU come in! We need YOU to help spread the word and encourage people to plant native! Let them know that at this time of year, they can visually see the effects of invasive species on our wild spaces by just looking down at the Bradford pear-stained highways. There is no better time than now to help reverse the effects of invasive species on our ecosystems and help people understand that while beautiful, they also threaten the birds, bees, and butterflies we all love.

So, if you like the smell of rotting fish, attracting flies, fragile trees that often split in half during windstorms, and contributing to the demise of our local ecosystems, then plant a Bradford pear. Otherwise, plant a native flowering tree like eastern redbud, serviceberry, or flowering dogwood that will last much longer, support local wildlife, and add some color to your early spring landscape. That’s my sugg-Jeff-tion!

Latin for Gardeners: March 2025

Latin for Gardeners
March’s Native Maryland Plant

Geranium maculatum L.
(jer-AY-nee-um mak-yuh-LAH-tum)
Common Name: Wild Geranium, Spotted Geranium, Cranesbill

Wild Geranium is a lovely, low-growing, rhizomatic perennial often found blanketing the ground in woodlands or along roadsides. It’s an adaptable, clump-forming groundcover that thrives in a dry to moist area of my garden. Its dehiscent¹ fruits have allowed it to spread into other areas of my yard which I find a charming feature of this plant. I often find it growing far from where it was originally planted, usually where I’m leaning over to pull weeds – it makes for a welcome distraction from this never-ending chore.

The plant’s five petals range in color from lavender to pink to almost white and feature slightly darker contrasting lines that act as nectar guides – aiding pollinators in their search for pollen and nectar. Each flower has a single pistil surrounded by ten stamens. Beneath the flower are five green sepals and a slightly pubescent stem.

Wild geranium is a larval host plant for the White-Marked Tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma). The plant may also be visited by slugs and snails - these two garden pests can be managed by creating an inviting habitat, like a compost pile, for ground beetles who will eagerly feed on them.

Having a compost is a great way to recycle yard waste. It also saves time and money and can gain you multiple Bay-wise² points! Top dressing your flower beds with compost, including those with Geranium maculatum, suppresses weeds and adds nutrients to the soil. What better way to keep plants healthy so they can continue to spread their seeds? Happy gardening.

¹ the explosive release of seeds from the fruit

² The Univ. of MD program that focuses on water quality. Find out more here:

https://extension.umd.edu/programs/environment-natural-resources/program-areas/bay-wise-program/

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/Anne Arundel Tree Trooper
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)
aligmilligan@gmail.com

The Woods in Winter Highlight the Ivy Problem

The Woods in Winter Highlight the Ivy Problem

By Nina Fisher (Class 5 Watershed Steward, WSA Board member and co-founder of Save Our Trees)

Take a look at the woods in winter. Now, really scrutinize them. Most of the trees are bare, shorn of their summer green garb, awaiting the warmish breaths of spring. The conifers and hollies stand out as they hold on to their dark green foliage.

This description is how the woods should look...but many do not. High up in many deciduous trees is a tangle of green English ivy and other invasive vines. It’s easy to see at this time of year and immediately alerts you to this serious problem in our forests.

The scope of the problem is enormous. When you drive around our county, there are very few places not compromised by these horrid invasive vines—English ivy, bittersweet, Japanese honeysuckle, porcelain berry and others. The vines wrap around tree trunks, holding moisture against the bark. They suck up nutrients and water that could go to the trees. They add enormous weight that the trees must support and make them more likely to topple during storms. They crowd out the native plants upon which our wildlife depends.

The problem seems overwhelming.

I am a co-founder of Save Our Trees (now a program under WSA), an organization that started when five concerned women got together just under three years ago because we wanted to do SOMETHING about this menace. And we have. In under three years, we and our volunteers have cleared almost 7,000 trees of these vines.

Is it a drop in the bucket? Yes. Does it make a difference? To every one of those 7,000 trees it does.

We take a “Just One Tree” approach. You may not be able to clear an entire forest of invasive vines, but you can clear just one tree. And after that, another tree. Every tree matters.

So, here is our ask. When you are walking around your yard or your neighborhood, we ask that you view the trees in a new light. Look for the vines. Then, get your pruners and start clipping. (see how at www.saveourtreestogether.org/resources/removing-ivy/). If the tree is not on your own property, get permission from the community or landowner first.

Your tree will thank you. Really! If you listen carefully, you can hear a huge sigh of relief.

We also ask that you count every tree that you free from vines and report the number to us. Our goal for the end of our third year is to reach 10,000 trees. We have a long way to go but with community help, we can get there.

If you become really enthused about removing vines, Save Our Trees is happy to help you run a neighborhood event. We have a short guide to setting up such an effort on our website (www.saveourtreestogether.org). We will also come to the event to demonstrate proper removal techniques and to help clear vines.

Save Our Trees wants the act of removing vines to ripple across the county so that more and more people understand the harm vines cause and the actions they can take in their own yards and communities.

Please reach out to us at saveourtreestogether@gmail.com and let us know how we can help you tackle this widespread problem. Every tree saved will thank you.

See how to properly clip ivy here.
Visit the Save Our Trees website here.
Email Save Our Trees here.

2025 Ann Jackson Steward of the Year

2025 Ann Jackson Steward of the Year: Gary Gakenheimer

HOA President & watershed steward

As both a Watershed Steward and the President of his HOA, Gary serves an important role connecting his community to environmental restoration initiatives.

His steady leadership and dedication have been the driving force behind a massive, multi-phase shoreline restoration project in his community, Chestnut Hill Cove in Pasadena.

Gary first became involved in 2018 when BGE identified his community’s shoreline as the ideal site for a tidal wetland mitigation project to offset the environmental impact of installation towers from the Key Crossing Construction project. The site, which had suffered from severe erosion and slope failures, is now home to over 20,000 square feet of new tidal wetlands with more than 17,000 native plants. Invasive Phragmites have been replaced by native marsh grasses, and the restored area is now thriving with fish and wildlife.

But Gary’s commitment didn’t stop there. As the initial project neared completion, he was approached again—this time by Ken Penysl, who wanted to address a major erosion issue caused by new buildings along Solley Road. The area had eroded 10 feet down, posing a serious threat to the main sewer lines. This led to Phase 2, an emergency project completed between December 2021 and January 2022.

Still, Gary’s work wasn’t done. A severely eroded tributary stream needed restoration to prevent sediment from overwhelming the newly created wetland. Now in the final planning stages, this last phase of the project is set for completion this year.

Despite his remarkable efforts, Gary humbly credits his success to being "in the right place at the right time" and acknowledges WSA’s role in bringing together experts, funders, grants, and community leaders to make these projects possible.

Gary Gakenheimer exemplifies the profound impact a Watershed Steward can have—surpassing even the boldest expectations when WSA first began. Since becoming a Steward just five years ago, his leadership has driven a multi-million-dollar restoration project, funded by partners including CBT, DNR, NFWF, and BGE, significantly improving local waterways while enhancing the beauty and biodiversity of his community.

Beyond this monumental project, Gary serves on the Cox Creek Citizens Oversight Committee, overseeing the implementation of the Cox Creek Dredged Material Containment Facility in Anne Arundel County, MD. He is also a dedicated Steward, always ready to step up when WSA needs a representative in North County or when fellow Stewards seek guidance and support.

Join us at the 15th Annual Conference to celebrate Gary’s achievements and forge your own connections—you never know where they might lead!